CITY OF SHORELINE
SHORELINE CITY COUNCIL
SUMMARY MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING
Monday, April 23, 2007
8:00 PM
Shoreline Conference Center
Mt. Rainier
Room
PRESENT: Mayor Ransom, Deputy Mayor Fimia, Councilmember Gustafson, Councilmember Hansen, Councilmember McGlashan, Councilmember Ryu, and Councilmember Way.
ABSENT: None.
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The meeting was called to order at 7:43 p.m. by Mayor Ransom, who presided.
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Mayor Ransom led the flag salute. Upon roll call by the City Clerk, all Councilmembers were present.
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Mayor Ransom invited Dick Decker, Richard Tinsley, and John Dixon, of the Washington Native Plant Society, and Arthur Kruckeberg, of Kruckeberg Garden, to please come forward to receive the proclamation. The Mayor read the proclamation recognizing April 30-May 6 as Native Plant Appreciation Week in the City of Shoreline.
Dick Deal, Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Director, commented on three Washington Native Plant Society members' contributions to the IVY OUT program, volunteer work at Twin Ponds Park, and involvement in the South Wood Preservation Group.
Mr. Decker thanked the Council for the proclamation and spoke about the benefits of native plants.
Dr. Arthur Kruckeberg commended the City for becoming more aware of the importance of native plants and warned against the intrusion of invasive species upon both flora and fauna. He noted that recent research suggests that most of the flora from the 1850’s is still present in the region. He concluded that there are many native plants available at the MsK nursery, and he urged to keep Washington "green and native."
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Bob Olander, City Manager, provided reports and updates on the following items:
· Parks bond projects update is now available on the City’s website
· Emergency Preparedness Fair "Get Ready Shoreline," April 28th
· New water fountains installed in Shoreline parks
· Expanded electronic/technology recycling opportunities at City Hall
· Earth Day 2007, over 1,300 visitors
· Spring Clean Sweep
· The next Comprehensive Housing Strategy Citizen Advisory Committee meeting will be Tuesday, April 24
· The next Aurora Business and Community (ABC) Team meeting is April 25
· The next regular meeting of the Parks Board is April 26
· The City Council will hold a special meeting on Monday, April 30
Responding to Deputy Mayor Fimia, Mr. Olander noted that the April 30 meeting will include a community panel and public comment on the gaming industry in Shoreline.
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Mr. Olander suggested that Council move item 9(a) to the Consent Calendar if there is Council consensus to do so.
Mayor Ransom reported on the subjects discussed at last week’s SeaShore Transportation Forum. He noted that although a written report was distributed regarding proposed changes to the SeaShore Agreement, the more significant proposal was not to allow cities to complete for funding in separate transportation forums. He said if cities are allowed to compete this way, then the City of Seattle will demand the right to bid in the south and east transportation forums as well as in SeaShore. He added that the state legislature was considering a proposal to consolidate all the transportation and transit agencies into one body called the Regional Transportation Commission, however, that proposal did not pass the legislature this year.
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(a) Dale Wright, Shoreline, cited a Lynnwood Enterprise article and suggested that Lynnwood’s Highway 99 project has only half of the transit and transportation features of other projects such as Shoreline, Federal Way, and SeaTac. Although it expanded lanes from five to seven, it didn’t include access safety improvements, aesthetic improvements, utility undergrounding, water quality, or illumination. He said Lynnwood did the absolute minimum, and now five years later they are trying to fix it. He noted that Aurora Phase 1 was done correctly and achieved the goals according to the community vision, so the next two miles should follow this model. He urged the Council to adopt either of the 110-foot alternative designs as the preferred choice for subsequent sections of Aurora Avenue.
(b) Noreen Federow, Shoreline, spoke on behalf of the pets in the community regarding the need for intermediate animal shelters. She explained that although some pets are taken to "no-kill shelters," these pets are placed in other shelters where they are eventually killed. She said she would love to have someone's help in exploring the idea of intermediate animal shelters.
(c) Wendy DiPeso, Shoreline, discussed the need for reduced speed limits on Aurora Avenue to improve pedestrian safety. She noted that the major safety issue on Aurora Avenue is vehicle speed, and it is a proven traffic statistic that the pedestrian fatality rate drops 80% if the speed limit is decreased from 40 to 35 MPH. She noted that long before Shoreline became a city, people were asking for slower speed limits on Aurora Avenue. She said although enforcement would be an issue at first, people are willing to obey 35 MPH speed limits.
(d) Maria Walsh, Mountlake Terrace, representing her son who is a resident at Fircrest Habilitation Facility, urged the Council remain patient regarding Council Goal #8 (Develop a Fircrest master plan in partnership with the state). She said although it has been difficult to create a partnership thus far, the goal can eventually be achieved. She said she would like Fircrest to become a protected campus and neighborhood, just like other neighborhoods in Shoreline, and she is anxious to have a strong partnership with the City.
Mr. Olander clarified that Consent
Calendar item 7(c), Ordinance 459 amending speed limits, is a very limited item
and only represents the first grouping of speed limits that the
Council proposed changing. He said the next grouping of proposed
changes are awaiting public input, and when that process concludes they will be
brought back to Council in July.
Regarding Fircrest, Mr. Olander confirmed that progress with the state has been
slow. He said the City is hopeful that the governor doesn't veto the
funding for the proposed Fircrest master plan.
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Councilmember Hansen moved approval of the agenda. Councilmember Gustafson seconded the motion.
After further discussion, there was Council consensus to move Item 7(c) from Consent to Item 10(b), and to remove former item 10(b), Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Board Appointments, from the agenda. Councilmember Hansen moved to amend the agenda to move item 9(a), Ordinance No. 467, to the Consent Calendar. Deputy Mayor Fimia seconded the motion and asked if there were any members of the audience wishing to provide public comment on item 9(a). There was no one wishing to provide comment. A vote was taken on the motion to amend the agenda, which carried unanimously. A vote was taken on the motion to approve the agenda as amended, which carried unanimously.
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Deputy Mayor Fimia moved
approval of the Consent Calendar. Councilmember McGlashan seconded the
motion, which carried unanimously and the following items were approved:
(a) Minutes of Special Meeting of March 19, 2007
Minutes of Workshop Dinner Meeting of March 26, 2007
Minutes of Business Meeting of March 26, 2007
Minutes of Study Session of April 2, 2007
(b) Approval of expenses and payroll as of April 12, 2007 in the
amount of $1,767,754.01
(c) Ordinance No. 468
Extending the Shoreline Water District Franchise
(d) Resolution No. 256 Amending Figure 6.1 of the Transportation
Master Plan (TMP) to show the Street Classification of Ashworth Avenue N
between N 145th Street and N 155th Street as a “Local
Street”
(e) Motion to Authorize the City Manager to release WSDOT Slope
and Sidewalk Easements for Certain Real Properties located at 14825, 16300 and
16310 Aurora Avenue North
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Rob Beem, Community Service Manager, explained that a total of $315,216 in prior year CDBG funds were initially allocated to the support of the Major Home Repair Program. While the Major Home Repair Program continues to be a high priority for the community, this amount of funding does not match the level of activity for this program. He noted that in the past, an average of 14 homes per year were rehabilitated through the Major Home Repair Program. However, today, that number has decreased to 4-8 per year. To meet HUD and King County regulations these unspent funds must be reprogrammed. Following a needs analysis, staff concluded that the reprogrammed funds would best support the Minor Home Repair Program ($90,000), the Curb Ramps Program ($150,000), and activities to be specified in the Comprehensive Housing Strategy ($75,216). The staff recommendation is to hold a public hearing on the proposed reprogramming of $315,216 in Community Development Block Grant funds, adopt the staff recommendation for use of the CDBG funds and approve Ordinance No. 467.
Mr. Olander added that one factor is the limited amount of time in which to spend these types of funds; the other factor is that they are capital funds, which means they can only be spent on capital projects.
Mayor Ransom opened the public hearing and called for public comment. Seeing no one in the audience wishing to speak on this item and no one signed in to speak, Deputy Mayor Fimia moved to close the public hearing. Councilmember Gustafson seconded the motion, which carried unanimously.
Councilmember Gustafson moved to reprogram $315,216 in Community Development Block Grant funds, adopt the staff recommendation for use of the CDBG funds and approve Ordinance No. 467. Councilmember Ryu seconded the motion.
Councilmember McGlashan asked if the grant funding could be contracted out. Mr. Beem responded that the funds are essentially contracted out through non-profit organizations.
Councilmember Gustafson said as a member of the Joint Recommendations Committee (JRC), there is a movement to prevent cities from accumulating excess funding in these programs. He asked how the City advertises the programs and if there was anything we can do differently to improve publicity. Mr. Beem responded that the programs are publicized on Channel 21 and making information available at the Senior Center. The City also ran an article early on in the program, but has not advertised in the Enterprise.
Deputy Mayor Fimia asked if other
cities are experiencing a decline in the Major Home Repair Program and if there
is some rationale for it.
Mr. Beem said that some eastside cities are seeing the same results, and
it’s been proportionate up to this point. He added that the
discussion appears to be well-placed at the JRC and the staff work group
of cities that participate.
Deputy Mayor Fimia noted that since the need for home repair does not appear to
be decreasing, the Council or Comprehensive Housing Strategy CAC might
have to work on this more and make a recommendation.
Mr. Olander said the primary impediment is that the program takes a
long time to complete, and some seniors are skeptical about loans. He
emphasized the need to educate the public on this program and its benefits.
Responding to Deputy Mayor Fimia, Mr. Beem affirmed that existing capital
funds for curb ramps come from the CDBG.
Mayor Ransom noted that he suggested the program to a neighbor who needed roof repairs, but he was reluctant due to fear of a lien against the property. Staff affirmed that the long process and fear of loans are very common concerns. Also, the low income eligibility requirement has deterred many from applying, and the level has not increased over the years, thereby increasing the impact.
Councilmember Hansen understood
that the loans would be repaid when a house sells, so the program is more like
a revolving fund. He asked how much money is currently loaned out.
Mr. Beem explained that as loans get paid back, it comes back as new revenue,
but it is not enough to make it a self-sustaining program. The
City gets back $15,000-$75,000 annually, and it currently has about
$400,000 loaned out. He said the repaid loans appear in the revenue line
for the total amount of the block grant in any given year, and Shoreline has
the option of how to use those revenues.
Councilmember Hansen felt that the ground rules have changed since program
was first established, since it seems the amount we reallocate has
nothing to do with expended funds.
Councilmember Ryu expressed support for the motion, noting that minor home repair is a preventative measure that allows the elderly to age in place in a safe environment. She also appreciated the proposal to reserve $75,000 for potential housing options.
Councilmember Way asked staff to clarify the difference between the Major
Home Repair Program and the Minor Home repair Program. She also
asked about eligibility requirements and how many households participate.
She suggested improving the publicity on these programs and encouraged the
public to take advantage of them.
Staff clarified that Major Home Repair is a loan program; Minor Home
Repair is a grant program. The eligibility requirement for the
programs is 80% of median income and below. In 2006, the Minor Home
Repair Program served 33 households in Shoreline.
Councilmember Way inquired about the appropriateness of
asking local banks to advertise the programs. Mr. Beem said he would
look into it as part of the marketing effort on the Major Home Repair
Program.
Councilmember Way also asked if CDBG funds are slated to be used
for sidewalk improvements along N 192nd Street. It was noted that some frontage improvements are
required as part of the Echo Lake development. Mr. Beem added that making
existing infrastructure safer is the rationale for adding curb ramps at various
locations. He responded to Councilmember
Way that additional curb ramps will be
installed based on a Public Works priority list.
Responding to Councilmember Hansen, Mr. Beem affirmed that most of the loans are zero-interest loans, and in the event interest is paid on some of them, it is well below market rate. Mr. Beem added that although this type of loan is a "very good deal," it is often difficult to convince people to increase their debt. Councilmember Hansen noted that he has referred people to the program and it has worked well for them.
A vote was taken on the motion to reprogram $315,216 in Community Development Block Grant funds, adopt the staff recommendation for use of the CDBG funds and approve Ordinance No. 467, which carried unanimously.
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Rob Beem, Community Services Manager, outlined that the mission of
human services is to serve as the catalyst for meeting the needs of individuals
and families through an effective and accessible system of service delivery.
He reported on 2006 activities, provided an update on community needs, and
reviewed policy and services trends and their implications on Shoreline. He
noted that one in five households have incomes below 50% of median. At $35,050,
this is just slightly more than twice the poverty level. He pointed out that this
is not enough income to meet basic needs let alone an emergency, so there is a
strong demand for food banks, financial assistance, and the WORKS clothing
bank. Among youth, challenges include anxiety, depression, and multiple
cultures/languages in schools require new strategies. He pointed out that new
research shows a significant impact of early trauma on youth development. He
noted that Shoreline agencies are developing a strong national reputation for
effective family support.
Continuing, he outlined efforts to improve advocacy and access to services. He
explained the system of local and federal funding, the grant application
process, and efforts to build awareness by demonstrating new service
approaches. He outlined that the total budget of $337,554 includes 21 Programs
and allocates funding as follows: 1) $98,393 for curb ramps; 2) $20,704 for
Housing Stability; 3) $103,518 for Major Home Repair; and 4) $40,000 for Minor
Home Repair. The Allocations Committee reviewed 37 applications and funded fifteen
agencies on two year cycle for 2007-2008. In 2006, 15,763 people were served
by a contracted provider of human services. Information and referral,
including crisis intervention, was the most used service, followed by emergency
food and food bank. He explained how the City leverages funding from other
partners and positions Shoreline programs for support. Key City partners include Shoreline Public Schools, United Way of King County, Community
Network, and North Urban Human Services Alliance.
Mr. Beem then described the results of the department’s 2006 advocacy efforts,
noting that they helped influenced the Veterans and Human Services Levy and
helped shape county-wide allocations to benefit Shoreline and North King County. Also, the
Community Network was improved in terms of access to mental health services,
cultural competence, and better connected parents, youth, schools, and
community. They also advocated for the Public Health Clinic and endorsed the
Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness and organized Housing Workshop for staff and
council. They organized the One Night Count of the Homeless in North King County (counting 37
homeless in Shoreline, up 12% from 2006) and interpreted census data to
identify households with housing problems for use by the Committee. He
explained the communication methods used to increase awareness of the various
programs and enumerated the following emerging issues: 1) housing and
homelessness; 2) Comprehensive Housing Strategy; 3) Ten Year Plan to End
Homelessness; 4) early learning; 5) mental health; 6) adequacy of state
funding; 7) potential sales tax; 8) the high cost of service to chronically
mentally ill; and 9) the gap in support for uninsured and underinsured. Mr.
Beem concluded his presentation by outlining human service opportunities for
2007.
Councilmember Ryu expressed concern about the adequacy of local, state, and federal funding for mental health services. She said she asked Congressman Jay Inslee to help fund mental health using federal funds. She noted that there were more options for addressing mental health issues in the past. She pointed out that a disproportionate number of Congress members have lost children to suicide and stressed the idea that many social problems are tied to mental health.
Councilmember Way suggested publicizing the 211 service to the fullest extent because it might help avert potential problems. She noted that recent events have focused attention on the need to take a closer look at at-risk youth. She also spoke about the need for early learning and asked how many day care providers were in Shoreline. Mr. Beem said he could provide that information.
Deputy Mayor Fimia thanked staff for their work, noting that Shoreline is providing a lot of services with very few resources. She stressed the need for measurable outcomes, adding that a major challenge is trying to recover some of the funds the City pays into region. She asked staff for more frequent reports so the Council can weigh in on these issues regularly. She asked about the cycle of the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness applications. Mr. Beem noted that applications are currently available for the next round of housing. Deputy Mayor Fimia suggested that this might be an opportunity to partner with Lehigh or another agency on the Comprehensive Housing Strategy. She called attention to the regional advertising campaign which advises against giving money to panhandlers -- she said perhaps Shoreline should include a similar message in Currents. She noted that her brother was a panhandler all his life, and if people didn’t give him money it would have forced him to seek alternatives.
Mayor Ransom expressed concern about the comment that self-described depression is reported by one-third of students; the implication is that this depression is clinical, which is highly unlikely to be true. Traditionally, four out of five levels of severity, and five out of nine levels of pervasiveness must be met in order to be diagnosed as clinically depressed. He suggested that the self reports of depression are more likely transitional forms or possibly lesser forms such as dysthymia. Therefore, it is not true that one-third of students are clinically depressed and at risk of suicide. He said despite this figure, he appreciates the report and feels that staff is making good progress in the area of human services.
Councilmember Gustafson appreciated the report, noting that as a member of the Joint Recommendations Committee, he has expressed the concern that Shoreline needs to get more "bang for our buck" in the north end. He pointed out that many of the programs outlined by staff could be addressed within the context of a Youth Master Plan, which he has been advocating for some time. He felt as if Shoreline is doing separate programs without looking at the whole picture. He said he will continue to advocate for youth involvement.
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(b) Ordinance No. 459 Amending the Speed Limits on Certain City Streets and Amending Section 10.20.010 of the Shoreline Municipal Code |
Mr. Olander noted that staff is proposing this first installment of speed limit reductions for Council approval in an effort to implement the changes now rather than waiting to consider an entire package later in the year.
Mark Relph, Public Works Director, explained that speed limit changes require that some streets be classified under different speed limit categories, so Ordinance No. 459 is formatted to strike some streets from some categories and add them back under different categories. He noted staff's intent to consider other streets, including Aurora Avenue and Ballinger Way, for potential changes later this summer. He said the intent tonight is for Council to act on those streets that it approved in January. Any remaining streets will undergo a public participation process and will also include input from Washington State Department of Transportation.
Councilmember Hansen moved adoption of Ordinance No. 459, specifying the speed limits on selected roadways in the City of Shoreline. Councilmember Ryu seconded the motion.
Mayor Ransom said although he
doesn't object to the seven streets proposed for speed limit
decreases, the Ordinance doesn't address other streets that the public has
expressed a need for lower speed limits, such as Aurora Avenue and 15th Avenue
NE.
Mr. Olander said the intent is to take the remaining streets back out for
public input and technical analysis, noting that there are potential
liability issues that must be considered. He assured Mayor Ransom that
approving Ordinance No. 459 doesn't preclude the Council from changing
speed limits on other streets.
Councilmember Gustafson said the main question tonight is whether there is Council consensus on the proposed list as represented by Ordinance No. 459. He noted that although he has some questions about other city streets, he supports the Ordinance.
Deputy Mayor Fimia said the reason she proposed additional speed limit changes since the January 8 meeting was because the typical posted speeds fall within a range (30-35 or 35-40), so she suggested erring on the side of safety and defaulting to the lower speed limit in each range. She felt certain streets could be done sooner rather than having to wait until July. She said she’d be willing to postpone her amendments if there are assurances that it will not take another six months. Staff affirmed that it will not take six months to return with recommendations.
Councilmember Way asked if staff considered a speed limit reduction on NE 175th Street near
10th Avenue NE,
since it seems to be a high-risk accident area.
Rich Meredith, Traffic Engineer, said staff considered it last year, and
although it is not on the list for further review, they can add it.
Councilmember Hansen supported the seven speed limit changes as represented by Ordinance No. 459, but advised caution about arbitrarily lowering speed limits. He said national studies show that if a speed limit is set artificially low, it will increase accidents. He said he wants to hear what the traffic engineers recommend before approving further speed limit adjustments.
Councilmember Way asked staff to add NE 155th Street, near Paramount Park, to the list for further study.
Councilmember McGlashan supported the Ordinance, adding that he would like to hear what the public has to say about further speed limit recommendations.
Deputy Mayor Fimia requested
that her proposal to change neighborhood streets to 20 miles
per hour be added to the public process. She questioned why the
City doesn’t just adopt the lowest speed limit in the range among the typical
posted speed limits for given streets. She felt it would make sense to
err on the side of lower speeds rather than higher speeds.
Mr. Meredith said the speed ranges came from the Comprehensive Plan,
which simply shows the normal speeds for
those classifications. However, the speed limit that is
actually set is based on how people drive the street as well as environmental
factors such as geometrics.
MEETING EXTENSION
At 10:02 p.m., Councilmember Ryu moved to extend the meeting until 10:15 p.m. Deputy Mayor Fimia seconded the motion, which
carried 5-2, with Councilmembers Gustafson and Hansen dissenting.
Councilmember Ryu expressed support for the speed limit reductions as outlined in the Ordinance. She also agreed with Deputy Mayor Fimia's recommendation for neighborhood streets as well as Councilmember Way's suggestion to study NE 155th Street. She said she would like the Council to be able to make a decision on 15th Avenue NE and Aurora Avenue at least by July.
A vote was taken on the motion to adopt Ordinance No. 459, amending the speed limits on certain City streets and amending section 10.20.010 of the Shoreline Municipal Code, which carried unanimously.
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At 10:04 p.m., and upon motion by Deputy Mayor Fimia, seconded by Councilmember McGlashan and unanimously carried, the meeting was adjourned.
/S/ Scott Passey, City Clerk, CMC